While the early days of the event provided opportunity for old friends to connect, waves to be shared and jitters to be worked out, on Day 3, the business end of the Nicaragua ISA World Masters Surfing Championship was at hand. Repechage heats were on the schedule, which meant eliminations were imminent.

The ocean continued to produce high-quality waves with offshore winds throughout the day. Although the swell size decreased slightly, Surfline, the Official Forecaster for the event, is anticipating a substantial swell to hit Nicaragua in the coming days, providing overhead waves for the finals. Just one surfer was eliminated yesterday on Day 2, but 17 more would be joining him today as spectators for the duration of the event at Colorado Beach at Hacienda Iguana.

“Being in the Repechage rounds is not easy, because it’s a life or death situation – you don’t have any more chances. If you lose you go home, that’s it,” explained Magoo de la Rosa (PER), a former ISA Gold Medalist who found himself surfing for his survival on Tuesday afternoon. He advanced in his Kahunas (over-45) Repechage heat.

In Round 2 of the Main Event in the Men’s Grand Masters (over-40), Sebastian Galindo (ARG) was up against a formidable draw: Hans Hagen (USA), German Aguirre (PER) and four-time ISA Gold Medalist Juan Ashton (PUR). Galindo’s regular early morning and late afternoon practice sessions appeared to pay off as he advanced in first place with a two-wave score of 14.5

“I worked really hard for this competition. I’ve been waking up early to surf every morning before the contest, and that gave me some help to pick the waves with the open faces; those waves were really the key to getting first place,” Gallindo said. “The ISA made the effort of bringing us together and the Argentinean team was very happy to be here. It’s always a pleasure to compete in these events, because in the water you want to win, but out of the water you feel an incomparable vibe.”

The Americans are the defending Team Gold Medalists and have made a strong showing in the early heats, letting the surfing world know that they plan to fight to retain their title. “We got Gold last year and we won’t accept anything less – we are taking Gold again,” said a confident Dean Randazzo, after a dominating performance in his Grand Masters heat, winning with a score of 14.67. “I love the camaraderie of the ISA events. You get to see a lot of old friends, guys that I competed against on the ASP World Tour, like Sunny Garcia and Shea Lopez. A lot of big names down here. And it’s great getting to meet the guys from different countries that you wouldn’t otherwise ever meet.”

Though the majority of the competitors in the event still compete on a regular basis, the ISA World Masters is a chance to compete on a bigger stage with vastly stronger competition. It’s also an opportunity to rekindle old rivalries and old friendships.

Kaipo Jaquias from team Hawaii. Photo: ISA/Parkin

Kaipo Jaquias recalls countless heat battles with the likes of Brazil’s Jojo de Olivenca and Armando Daltro and even his own teammate, Sunny Garcia. For a guy who stepped away from competitive surfing almost two decades ago, he’s proving that he never lost his talent. On Day 3 he won his fourth consecutive heat of the event, with a commanding performance in the Grand Masters, with a winning score of 15.44, the highest of the day.

“For all of [the Hawaiians] it’s our first time coming [to Nicaragua], so we all have the same energy and are trying to make it feel like home,” Jaquias said. “In Hawaii, everyone is pretty close, especially in times like this. All of the teams are showing the spirit of their country, and I think that’s what good about this event. You love the sport, but you’re also representing home, which really matters.”

Action resumes tomorrow, July 18, with several Repechage rounds. In total, 58 more competitors will be eliminated.

The event webcast will be live beginning at 7:40am local time (6:40am PST; 9:40am EST; 2:40pm in Paris; and 11:40pm in Sydney) with The Morning Show at www.isawmsc.com/live.

About the International Surfing Association
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the World Governing Authority for Surfing. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running the Open Division World Championship since 1964, the World Junior Surfing Championship since 1980, the World Masters Surfing Championship since 2007, the World Bodyboard Championship since 2011, and the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival in China and the World Standup Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship beginning in 2012. The ISA also sanctions the World Kneeboard Titles and the World Tandem Surfing Championship.

ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies of 71 countries on five continents. Its headquarters are located in La Jolla, California. It is presided over by Fernando Aguerre (Argentina), first elected President in 1994 in Rio de Janeiro and re-elected seven times since. The ISA´s four Vice-Presidents are Alan Atkins (AUS), Karín Sierralta (PER), Debbie Beacham (USA) and Layne Beachley (AUS).

About Gray Line Tours Nicaragua
Gray Line Tours is a leading tour operator in Nicaragua, and is affiliated with Gray Line Worldwide, which provides tourism services around the world. The company offers complete services in accommodation, transportation, tours, as well as the organization of congress and incentive travels (DMC). It offers quality and professional services, as well as personalized attention to its clients 24 hours a day.

Gray Line offers competitive rates and a wide range of products from nature and cultural packages to surfing and adventure programs. International surfing competitions in Nicaragua have been possible since 2010 thanks to Gray Line Nicaragua efforts.